Engaging Life with Courage and Intelligence
When countries are controlled by criminal enterprises
President Trump’s erratic “the-world-is-on-fire” executive orders, pronouncements, and tweets have left the world’s economies and markets in chaos. Perhaps that’s what he wants… or maybe he doesn’t know what he wants. Possibly, he paid someone else to attend his world economy classes at the Wharton School. There is usually a method to anyone’s madness or…
An update on a post from May 17, 2025 The ninth launch of SpaceX’s Starship ended with two explosions, or, in Musk’s lingo, “rapid unscheduled disassemblies.” Not only did the booster explode after sending the second stage into low Earth orbit, but the second stage also disassembled over the Indian Ocean after going into an…
The week of May 19th could be redemption or yet another embarrassment for Trump’s sugar daddy. America’s favorite African-American recently said, “Just before the Starship flight next week, I will give a company talk explaining the Mars game plan in Starbase, Texas, that will also be live-streamed on X.“ Until Tesla’s value began to fall…
There can no longer be any doubt. The Trump Administration is hellbent on destroying American higher education. Trump is attacking higher education, as Mussolini did in 1931, Mao in 1968, and Viktor Orban in 2019. All dictators want to neuter and control the intellectual gold mines of their societies. This impulse is fueled by the…
On May 12, 2025, retired General Stanley McChrystal was interviewed on The Daily Show. Among the wide-ranging topics discussed were personal character and fidelity to the truth. He was asked if he ever called or texted his wife with, “Hey honey, we are bombing Kabul today.” He said certainly not; if he had, he would…
He is the Destroyer of Casinos, Hotels, Sports Leagues, and the World Economy. Did Donald J. Trump drive four significant real estate investments into bankruptcy and the United States Football League out of business? Yes, he did, and he should be called the Wrecking Ball from Queens. Trump lost the Trump Taj Mahal, his personal…
When America was “great” between 1890 and 1932, there was an active, overtly criminal culture, particularly in large cities. The most famous criminal icon in this era was Al Capone of Chicago. Capone and his associates were able to control neighborhoods in many ways, including violence and intimidation. However, over time, many gangsters were able…
Many aspects of life are predictable. Gravity has kept me grounded on planet Earth for as long as I can remember. If I do not sleep enough, I am cranky the next day. I do not keep friends if I am dishonest and treat them badly. Sometimes people believe they can overcome the “normal” world….
Trump’s Unintended Consequence Number 666 For millennia, humans have been omnivores. In addition to consuming fruits and vegetables, humans have eaten animal products. The scarcity of animals in the food chain or religious inhibitions in some cultures have led to various forms of vegetarianism. At the end of the vegetarian spectrum is a vegan who…
The NY Times reports the inadvertent or conscious advantage given to some Chinese exporters over American importers. Despite the Trump Administration’s bravado and anti-China bombast, Chinese companies like Temu and Shein can AVOID tariffs for purchases under $800 made by direct-to-American customers. For example, if an American buys a $400 set of bowls from Temu,…